Educational device



Nov. 23, 1941s.'V H. R. com 2,454;632

EDUCATIONAL DEVICE Filed Feb. 19, 1946 v -s sheets-sheet 1 l /H/ `P`Zf//////// //f/////3, 4,6 .A .3. f j

INVEN'OR #UWA/P0' A? CoH/v Wg@ da. HP.;

ATTORN EY Nov. 23, 194s; H. R. zon-N 2,454,632

I fnnucwmgggn DEVICE Filed Feb. 19, 194ev l' v s sheets-sheet s '8 Q O lF STW l INVENTOR #0m/Pa A. Cab/N ATTORNEY T35' Q D i Mm L M PatentedNov. 23, 1948 UNITED STATES- PATENT voFFlc|51- Howard R. Cohn, Brooklyn,N. Y. p

ApplicationFebruary 19, 1946, Serial No. 648,657

This invention relates to devices for teaching children their letters,the term letters being used to include not only the letters of thealphabet but also the numerals.

The primary object is to provide means by which children can learn theirletters by both eye and hand. They learn to draw the letters at the sametime that they learn to recognize them by `'form or outline.

Another important object is to provide means whereby, while learning theorder of the letters of the alphabet by sight, they have the correctorder impressed on their minds by hand placing of the letters in propersequence.

Learning wholly by sight or hearing gives no opportunity for a child toindulge its desire for action. By introducing the-element of action,either by drawing the letters or by placing letter blocks in correctorder, an element of play is introduced which holds the` childsinterest; j Further, the greater the number of different sets ofassociation, the more readily are facts assimilated and the more rmlyare they retained in the mind.

One suitable form of construction is shown in the drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a numeral constructed in accordance withthe present invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan View of a letter and the correspending part of thealphabet and numeral board used in positioning the letters and numerals;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5--5 of Fig. 2 with a drawing tablet inplace of the alphabet and numeral board;

Fig. 6 shows in plan those letters and numerals having islands; and

Fig. 7 is a plan View of the alphabet and numeral board used inpositioning the letters and numerals.

The usual alphabet blocks are solid cubes with the letters printed orpainted on their faces. The blocks shown h-ere are given the outline ofthe letters to make their form more readily learnt and remembered.Further, they retain their identity in spite of rough usage which mightremove printing or painting.

Midway between the inner and outer margins of the letters is a slot Ithrough which a pencil may be inserted for the purpose of drawing theletters on a drawing pad I placed under them. The letters are thickprimarily to permitthe slot 5 Claims. (01.35-35) 2 `Ill to be bevelledand made` much widerI at the top than at the bottom. A child doesnotcoordinate well so that a wide-mouthed slotisa great'help to it inplacing the end of .the pencil or crayon in the slot. On the other hand,as the bottom of theslot is narrow the pencil point Y,is guidedeiliciently with the `result that asmooth, well-formed letter isproducedon the pad.

Some of the letters,`viz.: A, B, 13,0, P, Q, and R are closed with theresultthata continuous slot would severthe `inside part of the letterhereinafter termed the islandj from the outside part. Thisis shownclearly in Fig. 2 wherethe outside part of the letter is designated asII and the inside parto'r island as I2; In the ordinary stencil plateused in painting letters on boxes, etc.,` the` island problem is met byinterrupting the outlines of the Vletters at one or more points to leavea portion or portions of the stencil plate between such parts intact.

According to the present invention the connecting portion or portionstakes the form of a bridge or bridges I3 across the upper part only ofthe slots. This leaves the lower parts of the slots continuous andenables the pencil point to be inserted under the bridge, as shown inFig. 5. Consequently complete letters can -be traced without iirstremoving the block and then supplying missing portions later, as isrequired with the ordinary stencil.

Recognition of the letters and ability to form them is part only of theknowledge a child must acquire. He must also learn the order in whichthey come. To do this a board I6 is provided on whichfis arranged thefull alphabet and set of numerals all in proper sequence. Each letter ornumeral I1 consists of a raised ridge of the same contour as butslightly narrower than the bottom of the slot in the correspondingletter or numeral block. Each block, therefore, can be brought intoengagement, as shown, in Fig. 3, with its correspending raised letter onthe board and will be held in place while the other letters are beingpositioned. It will be noted that as the islands are connected to theouter parts of the letters by bridges, the raised letters can be madecontinuous. Further, as the raised letters t the slots, they are of thesame shape and size as the letters the child makes with the blocks and apencil.

Various materials may be used for forming the .blocks although toadvantage they are made' of colored plastic. The raised letters of thealphabet board should preferably be of material of responding to theform of the letter and pro-1- vided midway between such margins with aslot of V-shaped cross-section to enable the letterr to be traced `by apencil on a, sheet of-.papenunderneath the block, the block beingconsiderably thicker than the Width of the slot atlt'he'bottom so that,by bevelling the walls of the slot, the width of the slot at thetop ismade much greater than the width of the slot at the bottom.

3. An educational device comprising a series of" individual letterblocks each with margins corresponding to the form of the letter andprovided midway betweenv such margins with a sloty to enable thefletterto be traced by a pencil on a sheet of paper-underneath the block, theblocks for lettersf with, islands eachhaving a bridge to connect the;island with the other parts of the block, the4 upper. part; of thebridge being flush with thel'top of the'. block while theblock issufciently thick-1 to permit` the lower part of the bridge to becut awaysothat the slot at the bottomis continuous and the pencilcan be insertedunderzthe bridge to complete the letter.

4. Aneducational device comprising a series of individualletterblockswith margins corresponding; to the formlof the, letterandprovided midway` between such margins` with a slot` also in the..form of the-letter and a board with. raised letters arranged thereon, inalphabetical order the upstanding ridges forming the letters each havingthe same configuration and having a width slightly less than that of thebottom of the slot in the corresponding individual block whereby eachblock may be brought into register with its corresponding letter on theboard and retained in place while the other blocks are being similarlypositioned.

5. An educational devicecomprising a series of individual letter blockseach of substantial thickness with margins corresponding to the form oithe letter and provided midway between such margins with a slot ofV-shaped cross-section to enable the letter to be traced by a pencil ona sheet. of paper underneath the block and a board with raisedl lettersarranged thereon in alphabeticalorder, the upstanding ridges forming theletters, each having the same coniiguration as and having a widthslightly less than that of the bottom of the slotl in the correspondingindividual block whereby each block may bel brought into register withits corresponding letter on the board and retained in place-while theother blocks are being similarly positioned.

HOWARD R. COI-IN;

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Kimbrough Mar. 24, 1942

